Soyuz TMA-06 crew set sail on their busy ISS expedition

October 23, 2012 by Chris Bergin

A Russian Soyuz FG launch vehicle has lofted the next set of International Space Station crewmembers on their Soyuz TMA-06M spacecraft. Commander Oleg Novitskiy, Evgeni Tarelkin and former Shuttle astronaut Kevin Ford will link up with Expedition 32’s Suni Williams, Yuri Malenchenko and Aki Hoshide on Thursday.

Ford was the sole American on the launch, as the ISS looks forward to gaining Russian Flight Engineers Novitskiy and Tarelkin of the Russian Federal Space Agency.

Ford previously spent 14 days in space as pilot aboard Discovery, delivering the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) “Leonardo” to the station with more than 15,000 pounds of science and storage racks to the orbiting outpost.

The Soyuz TMA-06 launch was delayed from October 15 to October 23 due to failure of equipment aboard Soyuz TMA-06M spacecraft during tests on Baikonur cosmodrome.

The trio’s Soyuz TMA-06M were lofted into orbit by their Soyuz FG launch vehicle at 10:51 UTC.

This was the first Soyuz launch from Pad Number 31/6 since Soyuz T-12 in 1984, 28 years ago – due to the need to check new systems installed on this complex for manned launches, while maintenance and upgrade requirements to launch the new Soyuz range at Pad Number 1/5.

The Soyuz, which first flew in 1966, was a modification of the Voskhod rocket featuring an upgraded and lighter telemetry system, and more fuel efficient engines. It was initially used to launch only Soyuz spacecraft; however with the introduction of the Soyuz-U in 1973 it began to launch other satellites as well.

The Soyuz-U, which remains in service, is the most-flown orbital launch system ever developed, having made around 750 flights to date, plus around 90 more in the Soyuz-U2 configuration optimised to use synthetic propellant.

The Soyuz-FG itself – an improved descendent of the Soyuz U – has performed 23 flights without issue. The vehicle has an analog control system, but it will eventually be replaced by the Soyuz-2.

The Soyuz-2 was developed from the older Soyuz models, and features digital flight control systems and modernised engines. Two variants are currently in service; the Soyuz-2-1a, and the Soyuz-2-1b which features an RD-0124 third stage engine which provides additional thrust. The RD-0124 was declared operational on 3 May 2011.